Fedex Case Study

Federal Express The Federal Express is an express transportation company, created in 1973 by an innovative entrepreneur Frederick W. Smith. During his college years, he saw the idea that the United States was becoming more of a service-oriented economy and that it needed a reliable, overnight delivery service company that would transport packages, documents, medicine, computer parts and electronics.
Frederick Smith born in Memphis, TN in 1994 perhaps has became one of the most innovative entrepreneurs with his corporation. In 1966 he graduated from Yale University with an economics degree. While pursuing his career, “he authored a paper describing the concept of a freight-only airline that would fly all packages to one central point, where they would then be distributed and flown out again to their respective destination (Hisrich, 2010, pg. 226).” The operations would take place overnight when airports were less crowded, and with the proper logistics, the packages would reach their destination by the next day. The professor did not think the idea was feasible so Smith received a C grade for his paper. Fortunately for Frederick Smith, he didn’t take it to heart and ended up building that company he dreamed of.
After graduating from Yale, he enrolled in the Marines he served two tours of duty, first as a rifle platoon leader in the U.S. Marines and later as an air controller. His four year term was well spent because it permitted him the opportunity to examine a working logistics system, effectively mobilizing more than half-a-million troops and millions of tons of supplies. The discipline, training, and leadership experience would stick with the Marine captain. He gained entrepreneur experience during the Vietnam War which allowed Smith to glimpse the future.
He found investors willing to contribute $40 million and used $8 million in family money, and…...

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...Federal Express – delivering the goods
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This case study looks at how new business models can create vast improvements in competitiveness. However, the models must be suited to the business environment at the time and will have a ‘shelf-life’ as the business environment changes. The case study looks at one on the world’s most successful adopters of a new business model that transformed the airfreight and package delivery sectors worldwide. But the advent of the internet in the mid-1990s meant that the FedEx business model had to change or the company would decline. This is also the story of how it rose to that challenge.
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In 1965, Yale University undergraduate Frederick W. Smith wrote a term paper about the passenger route systems used by most airfreight shippers, which he viewed as economically inadequate. Smith wrote of the need for shippers to have a system designed specifically for airfreight that could accommodate time-sensitive shipments such as medicines, computer parts and electronics. In August of 1971 following a stint in the military, Smith bought a controlling interest in Arkansas Aviation Sales, located in Little Rock. While operating his new firm, Smith identified the tremendous difficulty in getting packages and other airfreight delivered within one to two days. This dilemma motivated him to undertake research on how to resolve the inefficient distribution system. In an interview with Fortune Small Business in 2002 he explained his......

...productivity thanks to technology .Knowledge management system seems also efficient since the employees filmed knew very well their jobs and the functioning of the factory and the organization of FedEx.
3)Why is fedEx an entreprise system?
FedEx is an entreprise system. It offers high quality of service, dealing with large volumes of data and is capable of supporting some large organization. The amount of packages handled is indeed significant. The sorting center is a technology platform that enables organizations to integrate and coordinate their business processes. There is no information fragmentation since the succession of business processes is very clear (see question 1).
4)How important is technology to FedEx business processes?
Technology is omnious in the FedEx business processes with the scanners, the conveyor belts, the air control center and so on. They are very important because information technology and organizations influence one another. It also helps to reduce the number of levels in the organisation since most of the activities and processes are automated.
5)How coulf FedEx's shippings even more efficient?
Use of smaller planes that flight more regularly in order to deliver the packages quicker. We should also calculate succession of priorities in the itinary of the FedEx agents so as to make their travel straighter and optimised....

...Packages are sorted according to their destination thanks to an ingenious automated system using conveyers, scanners and diverters. FedEx scan and enter the packages into a system, which will allocate them an identification number. Then packages are stored by conveyor belt. In order to optimize the sort and distribution of the packages and determining the cost of shipping, length, width, a dimensional scanner scans height and weight of the packages.
Transportation: Once the packages are placed into boxes, all of the different boxes will be shaped in such a way that they will fit into a plane with maximum efficiency. FedEx air control center is in charges of coordinating and monitoring airplane, airports and the arrival of trucks. Another multidimensional scanner will then read the barcode which will analyze the location and destination of the packages and allocate and nudge them through paddles. In some case, a manual sorting will be required. So, a special box is settling so as to gather the packages from the manual sorting.
Delivering: Packages are dispatching once again according to their final destination and delivered by hand by couriers.
2) List the types of information systems shown in the video. Can you describe how systems
that were not shown might be used at FedEx?
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...transportation companies to realize the benefits of technology. As early as 1978, just five years after it began operations, the company pioneered the first automated customer service centre.
To provide real-time package tracking for each shipment, FedEx uses one of the world's largest computer and telecommunications networks. The company's couriers operate SuperTracker® hand-held computers, to record the transit of shipments through the FedEx integrated network.
FedEx's use of technology focuses on the customer, rather than merely on remaining competitive. With FedEx, businesses can determine the status of their packages at all possible locations along the delivery route in real time. Customers can track packages in three ways: via the FedEx Web site on the Internet, by using FedEx Ship Manager at fedex.com, or FedEx WorldTM Shipping Software.
To provide the time-definite service customers have come to rely on, FedEx is continually developing innovative technologies. The following examples illustrate why FedEx remains the leader in the express cargo transportation industry.
COSMOS (Customer Operations Service Master On-line System) is a computerized package tracking system that monitors every phase of the delivery cycle at Federal Express. FedEx employees constantly input information into COSMOS by several means.
Customer service representatives enter shipping information into COSMOS through computer terminals, alerting the dispatcher closest to the pick-up or......

...Case Analysis: Federal Express
Introduction
Federal Express is an express transportation company, founded in 1973 by Frederick W. Smith. During his college years, he recognized that the United States was becoming a service-oriented economy and needed a reliable, overnight delivery service company designed to solely transport packages and documents. He wrote a Yale term paper on this idea, and received a ‘C’. His professor thought it would never work. Fortunately for Frederick Smith, he didn’t take it to heart and ended up building that company he dreamed of.
He found investors willing to contribute $40 million, used $8 million in family money, and received bank financing. He started Federal Express with over $80 million, making it the largest company of its time ever funded by venture capital.
Background
Federal Express became successful so quickly because all their competition became weaker at the same time. They built a super-hub in Memphis, Tennessee, where all packages from the United States would be loaded on the correct transport and shipped out each night.
Today, Federal Express has over 143,000 workers worldwide, and delivers more than 3 million express packages to 200 countries daily. One major change has affected Federal Express. In January of 1998, Federal Express changed to FDX Corporation.
FDX Corporation now includes Federal Express, Roadway Packaging System (RPS), Viking Freight, Roberts Express, and Caliber Logistics. Even though FDX owns......

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FedEx Corporation: Structural transformation through e-business
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[FedExI has built superior physical, virtual and people networks not just to prepare for change, but to shape change on a global scale: to change the way we all connect with each other in the new Network Economy. (1999 Annual Report) [FedExl is not only reorganizing its internal operations around a more flexible network computing architecture, but it's also pulling-in and in many cases locking-in customers with an unprecedented level of technological integration. (Janah and Wilder, 1997)
ince its inception in 1973, Federal Express Corporation ('FedEx') had transformed itself from an express delivery company to a globallogistics and supply-chain management company. Over the years, the Company had invested heavily in IT systems, and with the launch of the Internet in 1994, the potential for further integration of systems to provide services throughout its customers' supplychains became enormous. With all the investment in the systems infrastructure over the years and the US$88 million acqrtisition of Caliber Systems, Inc., in 1998, the Company had built a powerful technical architecture that had the potential to pioneer in Internet commerce. However, despite having all the ingredients for the maltings of a successful e-business, the Company's logistics and supplychain operations were struggling to shine through the historical image of the Company as simply an......

...FedEx Corporation Case Study
Jama Eddleman
Mid-Continent University
HRM 6003
Professor: Dr. J. Gordon
July 14, 2013
FedEx Corporation Case Study
Mixing up the order my papers usually proceed in, I am putting my Biblical worldview first, instead of at the end. There are many organizations and companies today that do not operate as God instructs. The Lord is clear in explaining how to operate a business and how to be a good employee. His instructions for the business world, as with all Christian instruction for our whole lives, is found in the Bible. B – basic; I –information; B – before; L – leaving; E – earth. I found this anagram years ago on a church bulletin board. The scripture I like in regard to this case study and how FedEx tries to honor its employees and remain dedicated to their needs comes from Micah. Verse 6:8 says, “He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (NI V). FedEx appears to be a company that works hard to be just, merciful, and walk humbly. FedEx leaders know that the company would not be where it is today without good employees, and they strive to do all they can to take care of their employees.
FedEx is a brand name known both nationally and worldwide. FedEx began under the name Federal Express. The firm initially specialized in overnight package delivery via air cargo. While the name, size, and services the company offers have......

...reference for other industries, FedEx is chosen as the case study.
FedEx, one of the world’s biggest express transportation and logistics companies, has been used many times as an excellent case to help people learn strategy management and acquire experience. It was founded in 1973. With the development of the company, FedEx transferred itself from a traditional express transportation company to a technical global logistics company. It absorbed the upcoming technology and make itself adapting to the change of the industry and the world to acquire the advantage of competition. FedEx spent a large amount of its resources and money on Information Technology and the R&D department to invent new information systems and develop new services. As the competition of the express transportation industry became more intense and took more consideration on customer segmentation, pricing and quality of service. FedEx developed new products and services to consolidate its advantages to acquire cognition from more customers. Also, many acquisitions occurred so that FedEx was capable of broaden its service portfolio and enhancing its market share. Due to those acquisition, FedEx achieved its commitment that was more than just an express transportation company. With the businesses of the company and the distribution of facilities, like warehouses, constantly widened, FedEx’s business covered more than 90% of the world’s GDP. Furthermore, with the launch of internet, FedEx became a pioneer of......

...Managing Information Systems
FedEx Case
1. List the business processes displayed in the video.
- Pick up the package & scan the box.
- Transfer of the packages & letters to a big rig
- Packages are loaded to a conveyor and sorted regarding its final destination
- The belt carries the package to a scan that register each of them according to their weigh and size.
- The packages are then pushed different ways depending on their destination
- The packages with unreadable label are treated manually and disposed on their right destination.
- Packages are thrown into container that are entirely weighted and specially designed in order to fit on an aircraft.
- Packages take to the air.
- When arrived at destination, packages arrive to another facilities centre and are sent regarding the right cities.
- Once in the truck, FedEx couriers are delivered to the exact location specified on the label.
2. List the types of information systems shown in the video. Can you describe how systems that were not shown might be used at FedEx?
- At the first moment the package is being picked up, the FedEx carrier scan the label on the box that send directly to the system that the package has been picked up.
- Once the package arrives to the first conveyor, the scan gives the information regarding the destination.
- In the sorting centre, another scan takes care of adding the weight and size to the label in order to determine the price that would be charged to the......

...unreliability is an inherent trait of technology. FedEx cannot eradicate this problem completely but it can potentially prevent it from happening by using different management information systems to monitoring their network. Network Performance Monitor by Solarwinds (Network Monitoring Software) or WhatsUp Gold by IPSwitch (Ipswitch) are network monitoring software that can monitor and analyze network performance. FedEx can use these products to detect and analyze network packets to predict an imminent network outage.
Technology cannot be used by everyone. Some parts of the world, and even in America, people are still computer and information illiterate. And thus they cannot rely on technology to accomplish their tasks, in this case, it can be a simple task of entering a tracking ID onto fedex.com website. In addition, some people cannot use technology because they are handicapped. For example, blind people cannot browse the web on a computer laptop, or deaf people cannot speak or hear from a phone. Other drastic example such as people whose have degenerated brain function diseases, that render them completely inert, cannot see, hear or speak. These people cannot utilize any technology to obtain customer service. I think FedEx can overcome these challenges in many ways. First, FedEx can implement artificial intelligence onto their website to train and show their customers on how to track their packages through Fedex.com. Second, FedEx can follow guidelines from the......

...Question 1: List the business processes displayed in the video.
FedEx is a logistical service company employing 100 000 employees all around the world. They are specialised in transportation, e-commerce and business services. In order to be successful in their job they came up with a really efficient information system. We are now going to describe the different business processes shown in the video that retraces the entire journey of a package.
1. First a FedEx employee goes to the house of the customer and picks up the letter or the box the customer wants to send. The employee immediately scans the product so FedEx recognizes it. From this moment on and until the end of the process, FedEx will be able to know where each package is. When the pick-up tour ends, the truck goes to a sorting center to transfer the packages.
2. Once in the warehouse (called sorting center), all the packages need to be classified. Some of them are headed to the US; others are going to Europe or Asia for instance. First the package is put on a belt where it is measured (length, height, weight, volume) it tells FedEx how much to charge the customer for the shipping. Then the package goes under a scanner that reads the destination and puts the box in the right belt.
If the machine cannot scan the box then the package is sorted out manually.
3. The third step is to put all the boxes in the right container and to fill it up at its maximum. The container is designed to fit in......

...Case 1 How FedEx Works: Enterprise Systems
1. FedEx uses many businesses processes when shipping an item. First they arrive to pick up the package, upon arrival they scan the package so they know it is now in their possession and it is able to be tracked. This is part of a manufacturing and production process, as well as a sales and marketing process. It is a manufacturing and production process because it starts the initial travel or shipping of the package to its destination. Sales and marketing is used through customer service by getting someone to use FedEx (generating an order) and by the convenience of having the package picked up from the customers door step. Once the package is picked up it is taken to a hub or sorting center. At the sorting center the package is put on a conveyer belt that sorts through the packages and sends them to their destination. While on the conveyer belt the packages are scanned by invisible laser beams which weigh each box and measure the size. The length, width, & height are measured and together they produce the volume of the package, this tells FedEx how much to charge the customer for shipping. This particular example is in the financing and accounting category of a business process. The packages are then pushed by a diverter to the appropriate slide; there are nine of these slides or chutes all of which represent a different location in the U.S. The packages that are unable to be read are sorted manually. They are then put in......